CHANDIGARH/LUDHIANA/KHANNA: In a major step towards transforming conventional anti-drug enforcement into a student-centric preventive model, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ludhiana Range Sandeep Goel on Friday launched ‘Operation KAWACH’ at the Gulzar Group of Institutions in Khanna. The initiative is the brainchild of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Khanna Dr Darpan Ahluwalia.
Operation KAWACH is designed to create a robust protective network around young people by shifting the focus from purely reactive enforcement to early intervention and peer support.
Addressing the gathering, DIG Sandeep Goel highlighted that illicit drug markets often expand through peer circles, where one user inadvertently draws others in, eventually creating supply chains. “Operation KAWACH seeks to reverse this network effect. Instead of allowing peer groups to become a pathway into substance abuse, KAWACH empowers them to act as a protective shield where concerns are identified early and help is accessible long before vulnerability turns into addiction or crime,” the DIG said.
Similarly, the Detect part gives students a safe voice through a distinctive feature ‘KAWACH QR Codes’ that students can scan to communicate anonymously under three broad options: ‘I need help’ when the student is personally facing a difficulty; ‘I am worried about someone’ when a student is concerned about a friend or fellow student; ‘I want to report something’ to provide information regarding suspected drug activity, harassment, unsafe surroundings or any other concern.
